Accent Issues Quotes

I played a Siamese girl from Thailand. I played an Arabian girl. I did a lot of American Indians. I never, ever was able to do a part without assuming some kind of accent.

When I first moved to LA, no one could understand a thing I said, you would think I was speaking another language. Every time I would order something at Starbucks, they would go, 'Huh? What did you say?' My accent was an issue and my low voice was as well. They thought I should be more girlie. But that's who I am.

I've been banging on about doing stuff in Birmingham for years and years, and everyone says 'We can't, it's the accent thing.' For some reason it's a very difficult accent to get right, harder even than Geordie.

I almost failed one drama course. All the actors talked in phony accents. It shocked me. I went out for track instead.

No one understands my accent. I'm constantly going to auditions and being told they don't like how I talk. You have to live with criticism, and I don't take it personally.

In the beginning, for the first English record it was really hard for me because I'm a perfectionist and I really wanted it to sound natural and not like a German who tries to sing in English.

When you arrive in L.A. as an Englishman, you might as well be on the moon. People just don't understand you if you speak too fast, and most people there think you're Australian. Ordering was incredibly complicated. I was speechless.

If I speak my version of Spanish in Spain, they laugh. Same with Mexico. It's an alien world to me.

I didn't realise I had a speech impediment until I came back to England. I spent the whole of my life working abroad, and no-one mentioned it. I came back to England and suddenly realised I had a speech impediment.

The American accent is a little bit tricky. We grew up with American TV shows, so we've had a lot of exposure to it and that helps, but there's little nuances and little details. Sometimes there'll be just a phrase or couple words that are really difficult to get your mouth around. At the end of every season we go over and revoice anything that has sound issues, including my kiwi accent coming out.

Colloquialism is the toughest part of what we do, as foreign actors, because there are certain sayings that you guys have that absolutely don't make any sense.

I always work with a coach. That's just a personal thing that I like to do. During interviews, you'll hear more of my accent, and I'll stress the wrong words.